The present invention relates to remote control receivers and, more particularly, to a remote control receiver capable of detecting a direction in which an operator of a remote control transmitter is present.
The invention also relates to an electronic equipment including such a remote control receiver.
As this type of remote control receiver, a conventionally known one is shown in FIG. 13A, in which a plurality of photodiodes 402A, 402B, 402C, 402D, 402E are provided on one PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 401 so as to be positioned in directions different from one another so that an incoming direction of light (i.e., a direction of an operator of the remote control transmitter) is detected based on magnitudes of outputs of the photodiodes 402A, 402B, 402C, 402D, 402E (see, e.g., JP 1993-145489 A). Various types of actuators are driven by a microcomputer in response to outputs of the photodiodes, respectively.
When the remote control receiver is incorporated, for example, in an electric fan, it becomes implementable to save time and labor for fine operations involved until a desired state such as an oscillating angle of the fan or a louver angle of an air conditioner is obtained by an air-direction switching key on a remote control transmitter, as has been the case hitherto, and to normally keep an object directed toward the remote control transmitter only by directly operating an air volume key or the like which is not directly related to the air direction.
The above-noted patent document discloses another example in which, as shown in FIG. 13B, a plurality of photodiodes 502A, 502B, 502C are positioned on one common PCB 501 for detection of a vertical direction.